Method of extracting oil from oil-bearing rock or sand.



R. H. JOHNSON.

METHOD OF BXTBAGTING OIL PROM OIL BEARING ROOK 0B SAND.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. a, 1913.

1,083,018. Patented. Deo. 3o, 1913.

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noswELL H. JoistNsoN, or PITTSBURGH, 1 ENNsY1`. vnNIn.

METHOD OIEXTRAGTING OIL FROM OIL-BEABIN G ROCK OR SAND.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application led February 8, 1918. Serial No. 745,998.

cases where the oil has ceased to flow natuy rally from the wells drilledinto such rock or sand, or where pumping means have altogether failed or are ineffectual to extractthe oil in paying quantities.

In many cases where the well is drilled to the bottom of the oil-bearing sand or rock in the usual manner there is a body of water, generally salt, below generally termed the water-sand. By the usual method of pumping, a quantity of the oil can be extracted from the rock or sand, but after a time it will be found that the yield is very small, and that the oil at the lower part of the rock or sand is diicult to extract, owing to the fact that there is not suiilcient gradient to cause flow toward the well.

The object of my present invent-ion is to provide a method by means of which a gradient can be developed which will tend to cause the oilwhich cannot be extracted by the ordinary method of pumping to flow from the oil-bearing rock or sand to the well,"

so"'that it can be pumped therefrom.

To these ends my invention consists, genp erally stated, in drilling the Well through the oil and a certain distance into the watersand, pumping up the -oil and a certain 'y amount of water and in this way creating a 'gradient toward the hole which will cause the oil in the rock or sand to be carried 'p along the top of the water toward the hole,

the water moving faster than the oil, and so aiding the movement of the oil by adhesion.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the manner in which my met-hod is carried out in which- ,Figure l shows the well drilled to the bottom of the oil-bearing rock or sand with the water below; Fig.,2 indicates how the oil collects at the bottom of the oil-bearing rock upon the water; and Fie. 3 shows the well drilled deeper and how by my method the slope or gradient is formed for carrying the oil toward the well.

Referring to Fig. 1, which shows the well drilled to the bottom of the sand in the usual way, the numeral 4 represents the inclosing shale or other non-oil bearing rock; the numeral 6 the sand with its original oil content, and 5 the underlying water.

In Fig. 2 is shown the result of pumping vin the ordinary manner to remove the oil from the oil-bearing sand or rock 6, which has been to exhaust the oil from the upper portion of said sand or rock leaving the oil indicated by the numeral 7 at the lower portion of the sand or rock and directly above the water 5 due to the fact that the gradient is not sutlicient to move it toward the hole in suiiicient quantities for protable operation.

Fig. 3 shows the action which takes place when my process is in operation in which the pumping action in the well lifts the oil and a certain 'amount of water and in sodoing a gradient or slope has been. provided which tends to drain the oil in the lower part of the oil-bearing rock or sand toward vthe hole, said oil resting on the water and as 'the water moves faster than the oil, the

water aids the movement of the oil by adhesion.

In the practice of my invention the well is originally or subsequently drilled to such a depth into the water-bearing sand as to yield the desired amount of water. In this man- .ner I am enabled to extract oil which would l otherwise remain at the lower portion of the oil-bearing rock or sand, and which it is im'- practicable to extract by the ordinary pumping method, and many wells have been abandoned for this reason. Where there is not Sufficient gradient to cause oil to move toward the hole, it will remain confined in the lower portion of the oil bearing rock or sand, and by creating a suiicient gradient by my method, this-oil lwill ow from the lower portion of the oil-bearing rock toward the hole'and can then-be readily removed.

What I claim is:

The method -of extracting oil from oilbearing rock or sand, consisting in drilling the well through the oiLsand and a certain depth through the waterlsa-nd, pumping up oil and a certain amount of water, and so forming a gradient for the oil tow rd the Well, and thereby aiding the movement of 15 the oil toward the well.

In testimony whereof I, the saidiRoswELL lH. JOHNSON, have hereunto set my hand. ROSWELL'H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

` A Ronn'r C. To'r'rEN,

JOHN F. WILL. 

